Letter from Sir Richard Wilson, KCB of 4 August
2000 about the role of special advisers

I have seen your letter of 17 July to Jonathan Powell,
inviting him to give evidence as part of the Committee's inquiry
into the role of special advisers. Mr Powell has consulted the
Prime Minister who has asked me to reply to you.

The convention is that civil servants account to
Parliament on behalf of their Ministers. They have no formal accountability
of their own to Parliament (unless they are Accounting Officers)
and they do not give evidence on their own behalf. The Government
does not therefore consider it appropriate for Jonathan Powell
or any other special adviser to give evidence essentially about
themselves and their own role, particularly alongside Lord Blackwell
who as former civil servant will only be able to provide evidence
in a private and personal capacity.

The Prime Minister has therefore asked me to say
that he would wish me to give evidence instead of Jonathan Powell
and any other serving special adviser whom the Committee may wish
to invite, and to answer any questions which the Committee may
have on the government's policy on the role of special advisers
including the exceptional status of Jonathan Powell and Alastair
Campbell. You may wish to add this to the items for the hearing
arranged for 1 November which already includes special adviser
issues. If there are specific additional areas in relation to
special advisers which the Committee would like to address, it
would of course be helpful if you could give me a broad indication
beforehand of what they are.